My career is over if ban not reviewed :Narsingh Yadav

New Delhi: Dope-tainted Narsingh Yadav on Monday admitted that his career would be over if the four-year ban imposed on him by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) is not reviewed and said that the country should take up his case as India lost out on an Olympic medal in 74kg category.

Narsingh was debarred from representing India at the Rio Games in 74kg freestyle wrestling event after he was slapped with a four-year ban by CAS for flunking a dope test following WADA’s challenge to the clean chit given to him by NADA.

“My career will be over. In case, my ban is not reviewed, it would be all over for me,” Narsingh said after arriving in the capital today morning.

“But it is not just me who have been defamed, this ban on me is a blot on the entire nation’s reputation. If my ban is not reviewed, an innocent person would be tainted for life, let alone career being over,” a demoralised Narsingh added.

The 27-year-old grappler from Maharashtra said had he been allowed to compete, India would have definitely won another medal from the Rio Games.

“India has definitely lost out on a medal in 74kg category because one of the two guys who has bagged a bronze in the Rio Olympics, Soner Demirtas of Turkey, I had defeated him during the World Championship at Las Vegas last year enroute to booking my Olympic quota place with a bronze-medal finish there,” said Narsingh.

Narsingh said his case has got even more complicated with his “own people” trying to hatch a conspiracy.

“I have got to know that some people in India had told WADA that I had been cleared under political pressure and my case should be reviewed. When my own people are conspiring against me, it becomes even more tough for me to prove my innocence,” Narsingh, who was stopped from competing at Rio just hours before his scheduled bout, said.

On how would he prove his innocence, considering that the Sonepat police had so far not acted on Narsingh’s complaint that the doping offence was due to sabotage carried out by Jithesh (a junior wrestler and a member of Sushil Kumar’s entourage) by mixing his energy drinks with prohibited substance on either June 23 or 24, the wrestler said he might approach the Prime Minister.

“I am really doubtful whether the Sonepat police is investigating the matter thoroughly. Despite complains, they have not made any headway into the case.

“That’s why I am urging for a CBI inquiry into the matter. Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh ji will also take up the matter and if need be, I will meet the Prime Minister and request him to help me,” he said.
PTI